New solution to border crisis: Send U.S. officials to Honduras to give kids refugee status?

posted at 5:21 pm on July 24, 2014 by Allahpundit

A foolproof plan to ease pressure on the border that’s currently being considered by the White House. Why force kids to make a dangerous trip through Mexico only to end up as illegal immigrants in the United States when we could go to them, grant them legal status, and send them north to America ourselves? It’s so crazy it just. might. work.

Minor footnote: Federal law doesn’t allow refugee status to be granted for fear of street gangs, only for fear of racial/religious/political persecution, but oh well. Legal details never stopped Obama before.

If approved, the plan would direct the government to screen thousands of children and youths in Honduras to see if they can enter the United States as refugees or on emergency humanitarian grounds. It would be the first American refugee effort in a nation reachable by land to the United States, the White House said, putting the violence in Honduras on the level of humanitarian emergencies in Haiti and Vietnam, where such programs have been conducted in the past amid war and major crises…

The proposal, prepared by several federal agencies, says the pilot program under consideration would cost up to $47 million over two years, assuming 5,000 applied and about 1,750 people were accepted. If successful, it would be adopted in Guatemala and El Salvador as well…

Children would be interviewed by American immigration employees trained to deal with minors, and a resettlement center would be set up in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, with assistance from international organizations like the International Organization for Migration…

[T]he draft proposal suggested that 35 to 50 percent of the applicants in Honduras could be considered for relief, a figure the White House said was inflated. The early draft, the White House said, was the most generous and least likely of the options the administration is considering. How many people are accepted is critical, because refugees qualify for public assistance upon arrival in the United States.

The theory, I guess, is that illegal immigration will be reduced if you move the “permiso” to the migrants’ own country. Convince them that they have a chance of being given safe passage to the U.S. and they’ll stay put and take their chances with the refugee system. Or will they? How many times would the average parent and child accept being either wait-listed or denied refugee status before they said “screw it” and went north to the U.S. anyway? Twice, maybe? Nearly everyone who applies and is rejected will immigrate illegally to the U.S., I assume. The demand is there, there’s a supply of coyotes willing to bring them north — QED. Meanwhile, once word gets out that the Americans are willing to take some kids from Honduras on humanitarian grounds, other would-be illegals will naturally assume that the feds will be more lenient with them if they decide to come north and enter the U.S. without a “permiso.” Remember, one of the apparent causes of the border crisis is a misunderstanding in Central America involving DACA: When the feds extended the program in June of this year for DREAMers who were already here and already enrolled in the program, some migrants apparently took that to mean that newly arrived DREAMers would also be allowed to enroll. There’s lots of misinformation out there about U.S. immigration law, much of it no doubt spread by traffickers who want to drum up business. If this plan is adopted, we’re essentially going to be advertising in Honduras that, yes, permisos are now available right in your own backyard. How’s that likely to work out in a country that poorly understands our law and that’s already a hotbed of illegal immigration?

The next step, logically, should be to expand this policy to places like Iraq and Syria where there really are lots of refugees as that term is traditionally understood, but since Iraqis and Syrians lack the sort of massive political constituency in the U.S. that Latino voters represent for Central Americans, I assume they’ll be SOL. Or do I assume too much? The Honduras proposal is really the logical endgame of hard-left support for amnesty: If you want to start absorbing foreign populations, it’s silly and even mean to force them to make difficult journeys north and then play hide and seek with the Border Patrol to earn their prize. Why not go to where they are and start handing out visas and bus tickets? If Obama tries this idea, the pressure on him to expand the number of visas granted annually from 1,750 to many times that number will be instant and intense, precisely because this is a game of mass population absorption, not token gestures to a handful of the local citizens. In fact, this may even be the beginning of a new Orwellian transformation in the terminology used for this subject. First it was “aliens,” then it became “illegal immigrants,” then it became “undocumented immigrants” (or “undocumented Americans” for true Newspeak devotees), and maybe now we’ll see a concerted movement to dub all illegals “refugees,” even if they don’t qualify by law. It’s a short progressive leap from handing out asylum to people fleeing general street violence to fleeing “economic violence” or whatever. Why not them too? Why not everyone?

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The theory, I guess, is that illegal immigration will be reduced if you move the “permiso” to the migrants’ own country

Actually, its a word game-the extension of the one already in play.

If you make everyone that is currently here illegally legal by suddenly naming them “refugees”, voila, no more illegal immigration problem. You’ve eliminated the term from the lexicon. It becomes impossible to be in the US illegally, because you are legal just by being here.

I going out on a limb a little here..But this plan is so bizarre it has to be a “trial balloon”..If Team Obie does this then it is time Boehner cuts the funding out to the department that is in charge of the funding for this enterprise if he can..:)

Dire Straits on July 24, 2014 at 5:51 PM

I am certain this was staged. Sadly I believe Boehner is playng footsie with Obama. It starts with a careful leak:

My first impressions of this are that Obama’s “fundamental transformation” is well underway.

But, you think the mid-terms look bad now for democrats, wait until they try to defend this.

And frankly, what you are saying is we have the power as a sovereign nation to enter another sovereign nation and designate its conditions so poor and dangerous that we can literally take their citizens from them.

Now Honduras’s government may well want the money, but this is the same country that threw out the last President for going too far.

They are a prideful nation. I can’t see their people putting up with us coming there and taking their kids.

This is a wedge issue that’s been handed to Republicans on a silver platter. Obama’s coalition is vulnerable. Plenty of black voters know full well they’re being pushed into the back seat while Obama caters to his new favorite voting bloc…and they don’t like it one bit.

Where are the Republicans?
Are they out talking to African-Americans?
Do Republican “leaders” have even the faintest idea of how to take advantage of a crisis?

… the plan would direct the government to screen thousands of children and youths in Honduras…

I’m sure they’ll send nothing but their best and brightest. Like the “17 year old” high school seniors with gang tats that look 35 that we have showing up in our high schools now from the current influx of “unaccompanied minors”.

The government doesn’t get out of bed in the morning for $47 million dollars. If religious persecution gets you called a refugee, then chartered flights must be loading those Iraqi Christians as we speak.
We need more spine and courage to take whatever necessary action is required to fix a problem. In the middle of the revolutionary war some of the soldiers decided they had served long enough and wanted to leave. Their sergeants agreed. Washington rounded them all up an told the soldiers they had to stay until the war was over. He had half the sergeants form a firing squad and used them to execute the others for desertion. Problem solved. That’s leadership. Today’s leader gives up 5 terrorists to get one back plus his job and back pay.

AP, then law requires not just those three grounds you mentioned, but “nationality” and “membership in a particular social group” as well. The latter is an interesting one too, since it theoretically can allow some to get into legal status based on fear of domestic violence or fear of getting gay bashed in their country.

A lot of women from the three Central American countries I used to interview claimed that their baby’s daddy used to beat them up, and they would get the chance to make their claim in court. And I personally know of people successfully gaining legal status based on their claim that they’re gay.

This is a wedge issue that’s been handed to Republicans on a silver platter. Obama’s coalition is vulnerable. Plenty of black voters know full well they’re being pushed into the back seat while Obama caters to his new favorite voting bloc…and they don’t like it one bit.

lynncgb on July 24, 2014 at 9:11 PM

Please tell me you don’t actually believe this. The democrats know full well that the vast overwhelming majority of black people are never going to vote for any republican. If there’s even a hint that something like that would happen, they’ll see the trend in the polls months before any election and just claim republicans want to put them “back in chains”, the black population in this country being completely ignorant of the fact that it was democrats who put and kept them there in the first place.

And it’ll work. Again. It’s never failed, why do you think it will this time?

As an exchange? They send us some kids and we send them some “top officials”? Sure! Do I get to pick the officials to send to Honduras? We can start with the IRS, then a bunch of TSA folks, every top bureaucrat in ICE, Valerie Jarret, ….

Wait, what?!? This isn’t an exchange? Then to he!! with it! That’s a stupid idea!

Please tell me you don’t actually believe this. The democrats know full well that the vast overwhelming majority of black people are never going to vote for any republican. If there’s even a hint that something like that would happen, they’ll see the trend in the polls months before any election and just claim republicans want to put them “back in chains”, the black population in this country being completely ignorant of the fact that it was democrats who put and kept them there in the first place.

And it’ll work. Again. It’s never failed, why do you think it will this time?

They’ll definitely never vote for a Republican, but they may decide to sit on their cans and watch World Star Hip Hop videos at home on election day. Of course, a few more rounds of Amnesty and the Dems won’t need their votes. And then, mysteriously, the entitlements will dry up…I wonder why?

What is it going to take to impeach this low life traitor?
dogsoldier on July 25, 2014 at 8:03 AM

Nothing. He is above the law – and he knows it.
Time, past time really, for the red states to move toward the exit.
Rebar on July 25, 2014 at 8:16 AM

A big chunk of elected GOP is in the tank with Obama, including new ones for the coming election. Boehner just played a game with Obama to give Obama the original funding requested. see

entagor on July 24, 2014 at 7:31 PM

They did not even bother having the MSM fake out a war in Honduras to justify calling the people they are shipping in (with the cooperation of Mexico) ‘refugees’

Sound bites will be fed out on the morning shows. One or two sentences about a refugee problem while people waking up scratch their heads and think, man, I didn’t even know they had a war down there. Religious front groups linked to churches that want open borders are being used to float the new ‘Refugee’ talking point. see

entagor on July 24, 2014 at 5:45 PM

This nation is being managed like Goebbels managed Germany under Hitler. The RINOs are running loyalists in the coming election who will not impeach, but hand Obama amnesty, and then blame him for any consequences. They will play off each other for the same goals

Media outlets are being cranked. Last night I posted a this link on HA Newsmax Editor Urges GOP Leadership To ‘Embrace Obama’s Border Security Bill’. This morning it was returned ‘404 doesnt exist’ But I found the archives

Newsmax is setting up tv news just in time for 2016. From the ‘conservative’ newsmax editotial

Obama is asking for funding to step up deportations and making the border secure.

Having failed to propose a more comprehensive borders and immigration bill, the GOP is being given a second opportunity to step up, make the Obama bill true to its mission, and hit a home run. Obama will sign a reasonable bill. The country will win.

That’s over $26,000 per kid – per their estimates… When the actual number over 2 years is 500,000 (i’m low balling). That’s $13.4 billion.

But we all know the real dollar amount will dwarf that… That’s just the cost of the program? Include the jump in entitlement spending…

I watched that hour-long townhall meeting filmed in Michigan (Vassar). There was an official there explaining the entitlements that would be provided should Vassar allow the ‘children’ to be housed there.

~Room and board (of course) with all necessities provided at taxpayer expense.

~Full medical care provided at taxpayer expense.

~Education provided at taxpayer expense.

~EACH child will be provided a ‘trauma counselor’ at taxpayer expense.

I think we need to start looking at exactly who benefits monetarily from this boondoggle.

Please tell me you don’t actually believe this. The democrats know full well that the vast overwhelming majority of black people are never going to vote for any republican. If there’s even a hint that something like that would happen, they’ll see the trend in the polls months before any election and just claim republicans want to put them “back in chains”, the black population in this country being completely ignorant of the fact that it was democrats who put and kept them there in the first place.

And it’ll work. Again. It’s never failed, why do you think it will this time?

runawayyyy on July 25, 2014 at 8:33 AM

I would never expect the majority of blacks to ever vote Republican, but I think it’s always prudent to try to do some damage to Obama’s coalition while the opportunity is presenting itself.
The goal should be to continuously inform/remind black voters of the dangers to them specifically of illegal immigration..and clue in some black voters about how Obama has given them a swift kick in the teeth.
You can’t tell me alot of black voters don’t already see this…and driving home the point might just get many to sit out the mid-terms.

I would never expect the majority of blacks to ever vote Republican, but I think it’s always prudent to try to do some damage to Obama’s coalition while the opportunity is presenting itself.

The goal should be to continuously inform/remind black voters of the dangers to them specifically of illegal immigration..and clue in some black voters about how Obama has given them a swift kick in the teeth.

You can’t tell me alot of black voters don’t already see this…and driving home the point might just get many to sit out the mid-terms.

lynncgb on July 25, 2014 at 10:21 AM

I don’t disagree with the points you’re making here, but it’s safe to say that anyone in the black community who doesn’t already see what’s being done against them by the democrats will never be reachable. The rest, those who do see it – and don’t like it – per your original post, still won’t vote republican after the democrats amp up the “republicans want you to be slaves again” rhetoric (which they always do).

If you have any data to refute this, I’d love to see it. If, on the other hand, your entire hope rests on black voters staying home and not voting, I have to ask….is campaigning for non-participation in the voting process from black people how you want republlicans to be perceived? I guarantee you that will only goose black voting against republicans, and will likely also serve to goose latino behavior in the same way.

My only answer is to educate black voters about the actual history of democrats, but I already know that won’t work. Leftists already control virtually all education in this country, and the chats I’ve had with black folks on this subject have been a total waste of time. They simply won’t believe that everything they’ve EVER been told about American history is false.

the chats I’ve had with black folks on this subject have been a total waste of time. They simply won’t believe that everything they’ve EVER been told about American history is false.

runawayyyy on July 25, 2014 at 11:18 AM

I’ve done the same many times and run into the same brick wall.
I just don’t think we should ever give up talking to black voters.
IMO, Democrats don’t view Texas or red southern states as a monolith and chalk them up as a “lost cause”. They’re always looking for potential ways to make in-roads.
There is currently a fissure in the Dem. coalition, and yes, I do believe Republicans shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk to black voters when they are angry and frustrated with Obama and maybe, just maybe, a bit more receptive to listening.
Too optimistic?

The question now becomes, how will the American people, already fed up with the invasion of illegals and complete chaos on our southern border going to react to this new decree by his “Hindend-ness.”

Not that anyone in the current regime gives a flying care but Dems in elected office need to get very nervous about this one and stop it cold lest every damn one of them get left out in the cold come November.

First it was “aliens,” then it became “illegal immigrants,” then it became “undocumented immigrants” (or “undocumented Americans” for true Newspeak devotees), and maybe now we’ll see a concerted movement to dub all illegals “refugees,” even if they don’t qualify by law.

Already happened in Britain (though skipping most of the interim steps). Just try to find an immigrant who isn’t an “asylum-seeker”.

The best way to solve a problem is to share it and make it someone elses problem. Thereby incentivizing those around you to find real solutions. With that in mind, solving the unescorted minor problem on the southern border is easy to do. We follow Mexico’s model. We bus them Northwards, and hand them across the Canadian border.

How many people are accepted is critical, because refugees qualify for public assistance upon arrival in the United States.

Not only that, they get welfare for 7 years, and IN THE FOURTH YEAR THEY CAN APPLY TO BE NATURALIZED CITIZENS with exception, because they can continue to collect welfare for 3 more years. No one else can do that. They can vote in 5 years. Even if they speak an Indian Guatemalan Tongue. You pay for the translator to help them vote, to go to school, to go to a hospital, Joe Wilson was right, they get Medicaid. But they are refugee freeloaders not illegals once they get That Status. Like on Facebook!
Being a Translator is good work at good wages, that is good work for immigrants from the country who know English. It pays about $140 per hour. Paid for with your taxes.

All of their family can come to the U.S. under the Refugee Status, and they can get welfare for them too.

“If you are granted asylum you may petition to bring your spouse and children to the United States by filing a Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition. To include your child on your application, the child must be under 21 and unmarried.”

In MA, they cash the EBT card in for money instead of food, and send the money via Western Union, to their home country. Then they get in the food pantry line, which is for Americans who are out of work. They work under the table, like the Boston Marathon Bombers family, don’t claim any income, don’t pay taxes, because that disqualifies you from benefits.

“If you are granted asylum you may work immediately. Some asylees choose to obtain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for convenience or identification purposes, but an EAD is not necessary to work if you are an asylee.”

“Choose” or “choose not” you can work under the table.

“To apply for employment authorization, you must file a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. There is no fee to apply for your first EAD if you have a pending asylum application or if you have been granted asylum.”

They apply for Social Security disability, yes, refugees and even illegals with stays on deportation can get SSDI in addition to welfare, even if they are not citizens!

They get all the free stuff, like Obamaphones, and furniture allowances and cable tv, and go to the head of the line for an apartment. Refugee status is supposed to be Unique, and RARE. In Massachusetts, families are waiting in motel rooms for apartments. (There are not any left, and we have enough of them. People here, stay in them forever, instead of getting on their feet and moving on, there is no sunset.)
Then they vote for the candidates who promise more welfare. Romney didn’t make it up because he was a very mean man, he said it because it is true.

Like the number of children involved in sex traffic, there should be very few refugees brought into the country. The current round of unaccompanied minors are 50% teenage boys…tell them in South America they are here to be used for sex slaves…just do it, that would stop the flow from the mountainous areas where the parents think these kids are going to be working and wiring money back via Western Union.